'Second Set Of Eyes'

Death Of Baby Left In Car Spurs Safety Invention

An infant who died after being left in a vehicle two years ago has spurred local researchers to develop what they think is a cheaper, more effective method of preventing similar tragedies.

Three researchers at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a system that alerts drivers when a child is left in a car seat. The technology is based on equipment used to monitor aircraft conditions during flight, and the hope is to use it to give parents added peace of mind.

"It appeared that we had the technology to serve as a second set of eyes and ears," said William "Chris" Edwards, one of the inventors.

Unlike other child-safety systems that require rewiring into cars, the best part about the "child presence sensor" is that it requires no hookups, said Brian Beaton, project manager.

Only three components are involved: a weight sensor that's placed under the cushion of a child's car seat; a transmitter placed under the entire seat; and a receiver that can fit on a key chain. The transmitter sends a radio signal to the receiver, and once the receiver moves beyond a range of about 20 to 30 feet, it begins to beep. The power sources are a nine-volt battery for the transmitter and a triple-A battery for the receiver.

Unlike other systems based on conditions such as the temperature in the car, the NASA Langley system's big plus is the link to location, Beaton said.

"This is a much more preferred method," he said. "It doesn't allow you to get away from the child."

And ultimately, children are the main concern.

Edwards became interested in using aircraft technology to monitor children after a fellow NASA Langley engineer experienced the tragedy.

Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Linda Curtis opted not to charge Kevin Shelton for the death of his 9-month- old son. She said the NASA Langley engineer wasn't "consciously aware" when he left his son, Benjamin, in back of his Ford Explorer while he went to work at NASA Langley on May 18, 2000.

Benjamin was left on the NASA Langley grounds for almost eight hours and was pronounced dead after Shelton found the boy and rushed him to an emergency clinic at NASA.

An autopsy revealed that the child died of hyperthermia, an overheating of the body.

Police said the death appeared to be an accident from the start, and many residents expressed sympathy for the Shelton family. Many others criticized the notion that a father could forget his son for an entire workday.

It was that sort of disbelief that upset Edwards.

"I had heard a lot of people saying that it certainly couldn't happen to them," he said, "when, in fact, under the right circumstances, it could happen to anyone."

And as he researched available technology used to combat the problem, he learned that the numbers seemed to support his outlook.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is a national organization sponsored by such companies as General Motors, L.L. Bean and the Toy Industry Association. It said more than 20 children a year are killed after being left unattended in vehicles. One-third of the heat- related deaths in 2000 occurred when children crawled into unlocked cars while playing and became trapped, the organization said.

Edwards joined fellow researchers Terry Mack and Edward Modlin as they worked for about a year to develop technology inspired by tools used to study landing gear on Boeing 757 aircraft.

During that time, the researchers also spoke with Shelton, who wasn't involved in the project but was asked for insight.

Cobbled down to three parts -- each smaller than a notepad -- the system uses less power than the average home cordless telephone. The system is activated when a child is placed in the seat and deactivated when the child is removed. In all, the setup probably would cost about $30 or less, depending on how many of the units a manufacturer made.

A handful of companies have expressed interest in developing the system commercially, but there's no timetable for when the product might be introduced.

Michael Hines can be reached at 247-4760 or by e-mail at mhines@dailypress.com